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38. He will take the first opportunity
of making himself familiar with the details of the ship's construction and
equipment.
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39. The Commander is responsible for
ensuring that before going to sea the ship is fully found and provided in
all respects and suitable as regards stability and trim. The question of
ballasting is to receive his careful attention.
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40. Before proceeding on a voyage, he
will acquaint himself with the programmed ports of call during the voyage
and, generally, anticipate the information required on all matters
connected with the voyage.
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41. In no circumstances must any of
the Company's ships proceed to sea loaded below the draft permitted by The
Merchant Shipping (Safety and Load Line Conventions) Acts.
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42. The Commander must satisfy himself
that all his documents are on board and in order : that the Articles of
Agreement and Continuous Discharge Certificates are available for
production to the Authorities if required : and that all papers and
entries conform to the provisions of the relevant Merchant Shipping Acts.
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43. He will be responsible for the
signing on and signing off of Crews and for Portage Bills and Advances.
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44. The Commander is always to sleep
on board his ship the night before she sails from any port and ensure that
the work of every department is being properly carried out in readiness
for departure.
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45. When the ship is in Pilotage
charge, the Commander is not absolved from responsibility for safe
navigation even when Pilotage assistance is compulsory. He is to
intervene, or take over from the Pilot, if he considers this necessary in
order to avoid, or extricate the ship from, danger.
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46. In the event of an accident
occurring to a ship whilst a Pilot is on board, no certificate exonerating
the Pilot from responsibility for such a mishap will under any
circumstances be given.
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47. The Commander must personally he
in charge of navigation when entering or leaving port, approaching land,
nearing or passing any danger, during fog or other thick weather and at
all other times when the safety of the ship may he in hazard.
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48. He will exercise the greatest care
in navigation and is especially cautioned against steering too fine a
course, proceeding at too high a speed or continuing to proceed when the
position is uncertain and when carrying on may be attended with danger to
the ship. (See also Reg. 133).
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49. The Commander will issue "
Standing Orders " to his Officers for the safety and efficient
operation of the ship as required by these Regulations and Instructions
and by prudent seamanship.
 He
will keep a Night Order Book, in which he will enter his orders for the
night. This Book is to be read over and the orders signed by each Officer
when he takes over the watch.
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50. The Commander will, every day,
when other duties do not prevent it, make a careful inspection of the
ship, accommodation and domestic offices.
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51. The Commander is always to
maintain close touch with heads of departments (including the Surgeon when
carried) and arrange periodic meetings with them at suitable times at sea,
in order to discuss matters of importance and interest, to notice and
settle any points at issue between departments and, generally, to keep
himself in touch with any problems.
Such
meetings should be held not less than twice a week whilst at sea and more
frequently if considered necessary by the Commander.
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52. He is to take all practicable
precautions to guard against any theft on board and to ensure that
particular care is exercised with regard to specie and other valuable
cargo and ship's property.
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53. The Commander is to regard himself
as host to passengers travelling on his ship and to ensure that the
resources of his ship, are fully and properly utilised for their comfort.
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54. He should take the opportunity,
when convenient, of mixing informally with passengers in all grades of
accommodation with a view to making them feel welcome on board; particular
care must be taken to ensure that passengers travelling in lower grades do
not feel that they are being neglected.
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55. All complaints from passengers
must receive the Commander's prompt and courteous consideration.
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56. He is to ensure that the Third
Class Passenger Victualling Contractors discharge their duties
efficiently, that their stores are of the requisite standard and that
cleanliness is maintained in the working spaces and Crew accommodation
used by them.
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57. All cases of accident to the ship
or engine breakdown or serious injury to ship's company or to a passenger
must be reported by telegram or wireless at the earliest opportunity,
followed by a written Report, to Head Office, the Base Port, and Operating
Agents except that minor accidents not involving collision or the ship's
integrity to the extent which necessitates calling in a Government or a
Classification Surveyor need only he reported in writing at the earliest
opportunity.
Such
a Report will be a statement of facts only, giving full details of
the time, date, place, and cause of the accident, the name of the Officer
of the Watch, the sequence of events with extracts from the Log Book, and
diagrams or copies of enlargements of charts as necessary to illustrate
the sequence of events.
Any
general comment, opinion, or criticism of personnel is to be reported in a
separate letter.
All
such Reports and letters must invariably be headed " For the
Information of the Company's Solicitors ".
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58. In the event of an accident or a
breakdown every effort should be made to establish communication with, and
obtain assistance from, another of the Company's ships.
Should
it be necessary to accept assistance offered by a ship of another Company
the Master of the latter should be asked to agree that the basis of the
assistance should be Lloyds Open " No cure-No pay " Salvage
Agreement.
Similarly,
when one of the Company's ships assists a disabled ship belonging to
another Company, it should be arranged on the basis of Lloyds Open "
No cure - No pay " Salvage Agreement.
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59. Where an accident affects the
ship's sea- worthiness or class the Commander must, at the earliest
possible opportunity, call in a Surveyor to Lloyd's Register to issue an
Interim Certificate of Class (Seaworthiness). If no such Surveyor is
available at the port where the accident occurred (or at the next port of
call if the accident occurred at sea) the services of the following, given
in order of preference, should be obtained for the issue of an unofficial
Interim Certificate of Class, to be confirmed at the first port where a
Surveyor to Lloyd's Register is available :-
a)
A private Surveyor recommended by Lloyd's Agents, failing which
b)
Two British Shipmasters (in case of machinery damage, one Shipmaster and
one Chief Engineer Officer), failing which
c)
The most suitably qualified person at the discretion of the Commander.
An
official Log entry will he made of the accident and a protest noted at the
first opportunity.
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60. Within twenty-four hours of the
accident or as soon thereafter as possible, the Commander will also send
to the Board of Trade (Marine Safety Division), by letter (and in the
prescribed form .vide Merchant Shipping Act, paragraph 425) a report of
the accident and damage, the probable cause, stating the name of the ship,
official number, the port to which she belongs, and the place where she
is. A copy of the report may also be passed to the British Consul, if one
is available at the port.
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61. As soon as possible after an
accident, the Commander will ensure through the local Agents that a
request he made to Lloyd's Agents at the port where the accident occurred,
or at the next port of call if the accident occurred at sea, to survey the
damage and issue a Damage Report. Great care must be taken, especially in
cases of collision, that the facts divulged to Surveyors are limited only
to the essentials necessary for them to survey the damage and issue a
Damage Report.
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62. When any damage is sustained by or
inflicted on another ship as the result of a collision, or to shore
installations, the Commander should ensure through the Agents that the
Master or Agents of the other ship (or the representative of the Shore
Installation, as the case may be) be invited to be present at the damage
survey of -the Company's ship, and to agree such damage. Likewise, the
Commander through Agents should ensure that the Surveyor acting on behalf
of his ship be present, without prejudice, at the damage survey of the
other ship or shore installation.
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63. When it is evident that the damage
caused to the Company's ship was wholly or in part the fault of the other
ship, the Commander must hold the Master of the other ship liable in
writing for the damage and all consequences and expenses arising
therefrom. If possible, an acknowledgment in writing is to be obtained
from the Master of the other ship.
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64. When any serious repair is
required or any casualty has occurred which is likely to prevent a ship
from sailing on programme, the Commander must report this by
telegram/wireless immediately to the Operating and Base Port Agents to
enable them to make arrangements as may be necessary for the operation of
the Service with the minimum dislocation.
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65. Log Books must be carefully
written up-to- date and attention given to the instructions contained in
the covers of the Books. The Commander must see that careful entries are
made in the Log Books during bad weather to enable a protest to be noted
and, where necessary, extended. Where there is reason to suppose
that the ship or cargo has sustained damage, lie will note a protest at
the first opportunity and send certified copies of the notation to the
Base Port and to the Operating Agents. (See also Reg. 141).
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66. At the termination of each voyage
the Commander will submit a " Voyage Report " on the specified
form to Head Office, with copies to the Operating and Base Port Agents, on
the general working of the ship. This Report is also to he signed by the
Chief Engineer Officer.
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67. At times and intervals specified,
the Commander will submit a report on the prescribed form, giving his
conscientious opinion on the conduct, ability, and sobriety of each member
of his staff. Particular attention must be paid to that section dealing
with an employee's suitability for promotion.
The
reports on Engineer Officers are to be prepared and signed by the Chief
Engineer Officer and thereafter countersigned by the Commander.
When
the report is an " Adverse Report ", it will be read to, and
countersigned by, the Officer reported upon.
(See
also Regs. 8, 13,
99, 129, 131,
134, 161,
162, 179,
191, 193,
194, 197,
210, 216,
217, 222).
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